IMS (Instant Message Service) refers to a real-time online communication service that enables a message transmitted from a sender to instantly appear on the screen of a device of a receiver without using an e-mail program or a web browser. In particular, a service for providing chatting and voice and video calls through a mobile network is referred to as MIM (Mobile Instant Messenger) service.
The term “emoticon” is a portmanteau word derived from “emotion” that means a feeling and an icon, and refers to a specific pictorial symbol used for expressing a user's a feeling or an opinion in cyberspace. Such emoticons started from an image symbolizing a smiley face, and have been diversified in kind and form including from facial expressions showing the other party's feelings when exchanging online chatting messages or emails, to feelings, jobs, characters, and animals.
In recent years, an emoticon service that enables users to express their feelings using emoticons has been provided to the users in the IMS or the MIM service. However, the currently provided emoticon service is limited to a simple configuration in which if a selection of a certain emoticon is received from a user, the emoticon is displayed in a region predetermined as a default.